1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for holding a woodworking tool of the flat chisel type having square or round cutting edges, or of the type having a radius at the cutting edge, such as gouges, during sharpening whereby the edges of the tool may be given a pre-selected angle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In sharpening a woodworking tool, it is common for the operator to hold the tool in his hands to thereby support and guide it while working it over a stone to sharpen the cutting edge. However, to be truly sharp the cutting edge of the tool must be precisely uniform. Accordingly, it is apparent that this practice cannot be satisfactory for even the most proficient of operators cannot manage to make each sharpening stroke a duplicate of the others.
Frequently, tools are sharpened by working them over a rotating high speed grinding wheel. Very often the tool is overheated at the cutting edge, which destroys the temper of the steel. This makes it necessary to retemper the steel, which, of course, is a disadvantage since retempering steel requires a special skill which few craftsmen possess.
Whether the tool is worked over the surface of a bench type sharpening stone or over a rotating high speed grinding wheel, the method whereby the tool is held in the operator's hands and thereby supported and guided while being worked over the stone or wheel results in excessive wear due to the hit and miss method of trying to develop a satisfactory cutting edge.
Devices for holding straight edge cutting tools for being worked over stones to sharpen the cutting edges are known. However, the height of the tool at the rear is adjusted to change the sharpening angle with the cutting edge resting on the stone. As the cutting edge is worn during the sharpening process, the angle is changed. This results in a curved instead of a straight surface behind the cutting edge. Accordingly, the tool is not sharpened properly.